All the way home Georg keeps Marias hand in his. She in turn can't keep from smiling. She was never happier. She keeps pinching herself to see if she is dreaming. They turn into the driveway and are greeted by Frau Schmidt.
" Good afternoon Captain, Baroness" she says as she opens the car door to help Maria out. As Frau Schmidt makes eye contact with Maria she notices Maria has a special look about her. She seems to be glowing from within.
" I trust you had good time Gretl" Frau Schmidt asks her.
" Oh yes Mother took us shopping and we went to the abbey to see the sisters. I got to see kittens. I wanted to take one home but father said no" Gretl says as she goes into the house. Once inside Georg has Liesl take Samuel upstairs.
" Dinner is almost ready sir if you will excuse me" Frau Schmidt says as she goes into the kitchen. Gretl runs upstairs to tell her brothers and sisters about her day.
" Darling why don't you go take a rest before dinner. I will come get you and after dinner we will tell the children" Georg says as he takes her in his arms. Maria sighs as she wraps her arms around Georg.
" I'm really not tired. Would you mind if we went for a walk? The doctor told me to exercise and walking is good for me" she says as she leads him to the back door. He smiles at her and kisses her on the forehead.
" I love you" he says as they head towards the lake.
Meanwhile at the abbey Reverend Mother is summoned to the barn. Sister Margaretta directs her to one of the stalls. There lying in a bed of hay is a young woman.
" I tried to wake her up. She looks half starved. What should we do?, Sister Margaretta asks her.
Reverend Mother walks over to the woman. She bends down to get a good look at her. She notices her clothes are worn and very dirty. It is obvious she has not eaten.
" Let's get her cleaned up and into some clean clothes. Maybe she will wake up so we can find out who she is. Sister go get some help so we can get her into one of the rooms. I believe Marias old room is available" Reverend Mother says.
Once inside the room the sisters bathe and dress the woman in a clean nightgown. The woman moans as she is being changed. Sister Margaretta checks her clothing to see if she has any identification. She finds no papers but does find a small box. She opens it and is surprised at what she finds. She tells the other sisters to finish while she goes to Reverend Mothers office.
She knocks on the door and enters.
" Reverend Mother, while I was searching the woman's clothes for identification I found this box. I thought I better show you what was inside," she says handing the box to her.
Reverend Mother opens the box and pulls out a small gold necklace, attached is a small Star of David.
" Now I understand why she was hiding in our barn", she says putting the necklace back in the box. Suddenly she remembers Marias description of the woman she saw running away from the church. Could this be that woman and if it is could she also be Samuels mother?
"Don't mention this to anyone. I am going to wait until I can talk to her", she says as she heads toward Marias old room.
The woman opens her eyes and tries to get up but stops as she becomes dizzy. Looking around the small room she realizes she is still in the abbey. She wants to leave but she is too weak. She closes her eyes trying to think about what she should do. Her eyes pop open when she hears footsteps approaching. She watches the door open and in steps two nuns. Seeing that she is awake they approach her.
" Good evening my dear. I hope you had a good rest. We were very worried about you. Sister Margaretta please bring our guest some soup. You would like some, wouldn't you? Reverend Mother asks smiling.
The young woman nods her head yes. She still didn't know if she could trust them. They didn't turn her into the authorities but that doesn't mean she can trust them. She's not sure she can trust anyone ever again. When Sister Margaretta had gone Reverend Mother sat down in a chair.
" You have nothing to fear here. You are safe. I thought you would like this back" she says handing her the box.
The woman slowly takes the box from her and hides it beneath the covers. Looking down she begins to cry, the events of the last months catching up with her. She jumps as she feels two hands on her shoulders. Looking up into the kindest eyes she lets herself go. The Reverend Mother holds her until her sobs begin to subside.